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Mergers & Acquisitions
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April 29, 2024
Protein Co. Nutriati Insiders Rushed $10M Sale, Del. Suit Says
Stockholders of Nutriati Inc. have sued the plant-based protein producer's directors and officers and others in Delaware's Chancery Court, alleging that insider breaches of fiduciary duty resulted in a hasty, low-ball sale of the business in 2022 to one of its major investors.
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April 29, 2024
Excess Insurer Seeks Inclusion In OpenText Merger Row
Allied World National Assurance asked a Michigan federal court to allow it to join a coverage dispute against its excess insured OpenText, maintaining that the software company's primary insurer will soon reach its limits on defense costs in the underlying class action over OpenText's merger with Covisint.
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April 29, 2024
Bruin Capital Buys Turf Management Co. PlayGreen
Sports-focused private equity shop Bruin Capital, advised by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP, announced on Monday that it is acquiring a majority stake in PlayGreen BV Inc., the Netherlands-based holding company that owns turf management company Stadium Grow Lighting.
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April 29, 2024
Smith Gambrell Adds 4 Attorneys To New York Office
Smith Gambrell & Russell LLP has added four attorneys in its New York office, two through a merger with a firm that specialized in representing companies from German-speaking countries in the U.S., and two from the recently shuttered Ingram LLP.
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April 29, 2024
L'Occitane Chair Bids $6.4B To Take Cosmetics Brand Private
L'Occitane International SA said Monday that its billionaire executive director and chair is leading an offer to purchase all the company's shares he does not already own, in a take-private transaction that would value the company at about €6 billion ($6.4 billion) on an equity basis.
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April 29, 2024
Deciphera Stock Soars On $2.4B Deal With Japan's Ono
Deciphera Pharmaceuticals Inc. said Monday it has agreed to be purchased by Japan's Ono Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. for $2.4 billion, which sent the Waltham, Massachusetts-based cancer drugmaker's stock soaring more than 72%.
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April 29, 2024
Davis Polk, Wachtell Steer $2B Heartland-UMB Bank Merger
UMB Financial Corp. has agreed to purchase Heartland Financial USA Inc. in an all-stock transaction valued at roughly $2 billion, with Davis Polk and Wardwell LLP and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz serving as their respective legal advisers, the regional banking competitors said Monday.
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April 29, 2024
Hipgnosis Backs Blackstone's New $1.6B Offer In Bidding War
Blackstone said on Monday that the directors of music rights company Hipgnosis Songs will back a new $1.6 billion offer by the private equity giant after they said they would withdraw their backing for an earlier $1.5 billion bid from a U.S. competitor, Concord Chorus.
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April 26, 2024
Law360 Reveals Titans Of The Plaintiffs Bar
In the past year, plaintiffs have won settlements and judgments for millions and billions of dollars from companies such as Wells Fargo, Goldman Sachs, Facebook and Fox News, with many high-profile cases finally wrapping up after years of fighting. Such cases — involving over-the-top compensation packages, chemical contamination, gender discrimination and data mining — were led by attorneys whose accomplishments earned them recognition as Law360's Titans of the Plaintiffs Bar for 2024.
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April 26, 2024
TikTok Ban Reveals Congress' Power In Place Of CFIUS Limits
The new law calling for TikTok's Chinese parent company to sell the app or get banned in the U.S. reflects the limits of national security reviews and shows how Congress and the president may bolster, or circumvent, them going forward.
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April 26, 2024
Ex-BP Manager Charged With TravelCenters Insider Trading
A former senior manager at BP PLC on Friday became the second person accused by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission of engaging in insider trading over the British oil and gas company's $1.3 billion planned acquisition of TravelCenters of America Inc.
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April 26, 2024
Crypto Mining Co. Execs Face Suit Over Merger Shortcomings
Executives and directors of crypto mining company Hut 8 have been hit with a shareholder derivative suit claiming they failed to disclose the severe financial and operational issues of a company Hut 8 merged with last year, later revealed in a short-seller's report.
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April 26, 2024
Wash. Judge Doubts He Can Block Kroger Merger
A Washington state judge expressed "serious doubts" Friday he could block the $24.6 billion Kroger and Albertsons merger but declined to dismiss the state attorney general's lawsuit seeking to derail the deal, saying that the state still had more narrowly tailored remedies to address its anti-competition concerns.
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April 26, 2024
FTC's Bedoya Says Labor Concerns In Mergers Matter
Federal Trade Commissioner Alvaro Bedoya said Friday that it's important for enforcers to consider the impact mergers can have on labor, even if they never did in the past, contending that concentration can lead to lower wages and dangerous working conditions.
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April 26, 2024
Republic First Bank Fails In Biggest Bust Since 2023 Turmoil
Republic First Bank, a roughly $6 billion bank based in Philadelphia, was shuttered Friday by Pennsylvania state banking regulators and sold to Fulton Bank NA, capping off a prolonged decline that only worsened in the wake of last spring's regional bank failures.
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April 26, 2024
Storm Clouds Gather Over Delaware's Business Haven Rep
Storm clouds have closed around Delaware's often staid annual corporation law update, with one prominent firm publicly citing this week a perception that Delaware judges have adopted an "increasingly suspicious or negative tone" toward boards, management and the corporate bar, potentially jeopardizing the state's business haven status.
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April 26, 2024
L Catterton Buys Majority Stake In KIKO Milano At $1.5B Value
Private equity firm L Catterton said Friday it has agreed to buy a majority stake in the Percassi family's beauty brand KIKO Milano, in a deal steered by Italian law firms Bonelli Erede Lombardi Pappalardo and Gatti Pavesi Bianchi Ludovici, respectively, along with several additional consultants and financial advisers.
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April 26, 2024
Therapy Co. SPAC Investors To Settle Del., Ill. Merger Suits
An attorney for a blank-check company that took ATI Physical Therapy Inc. public told Delaware's Court of Chancery it has agreed to settle two proposed stockholder class actions in conjunction with pending federal class and derivative suits in the Northern District of Illinois.
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April 26, 2024
Wachtell Guides Apollo On $1.85B Deal For Minerals Co.
Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz-led Apollo Global Management has agreed to purchase Morrison Foerster LLP-advised U.S. Silica Holdings Inc. at a $1.85 billion enterprise value, the producer of commercial silica disclosed Friday, sending its stock soaring more than 20%.
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April 26, 2024
Kirkland Steers $5B US Bid For Latham-Led Cybersecurity Biz
British cybersecurity company Darktrace said Friday that it has agreed to accept a bid of approximately $5.3 billion to take it private from U.S. private equity firm Thoma Bravo, in a deal steered by Kirkland & Ellis LLP and Latham & Watkins LLP.
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April 26, 2024
Anglo American Snubs BHP's £31B Takeover Bid
Multinational miner Anglo American said Friday that it has rejected a £31.1 billion ($39 billion) takeover bid from its Australian heavyweight rival, BHP Group, saying the offer "significantly undervalues" the company and its prospects.
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April 25, 2024
McDermott Judge U-Turns, Says Some Investors Deserve Cert.
A Texas federal magistrate judge reversed his recommendation that investors be denied class certification in litigation over McDermott International's $6 billion merger with Chicago Bridge & Iron, saying a former CB&I shareholder class "should be certified now" and a putative McDermott stock purchaser class be created for subsequent consideration.
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April 25, 2024
Outlets Ask Fla. Court To Toss Trump's $1.5B Truth Social Suit
Several news outlets that were sued by Donald Trump's social media company over reports that it lost $73 million following a merger have urged a Florida state court to dismiss the lawsuit, saying defamation wasn't sufficiently alleged and the articles were substantially true.
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April 25, 2024
Zendesk Beats Shareholders' Suit Over $10B PE Takeover
Zendesk Inc. has defeated a securities class action in California federal court accusing the customer service software company of undervaluing itself to get a $10.2 billion go-private merger with private equity firms approved by Zendesk shareholders.
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April 25, 2024
FCC OKs $1.35B T-Mobile, Mint Deal With Unlocked Phones
The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday approved T-Mobile's $1.35 billion purchase of Ka'ena, the parent company of Hollywood actor Ryan Reynolds' wireless brand Mint Mobile, adopting as a condition for approval the carrier's commitment to more quickly "unlocking" its phones so they can be transferred between service providers.
Expert Analysis
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FTC's Health Co. Suit Indicates Agency's Private Equity Focus
The Federal Trade Commission's latest lawsuit against an anesthesia company and its private equity investor highlights the agency's willingness to regulate the health care industry even when relevant acquisitions are relatively dated or when the controlling entity's economic interest is under 50%, say attorneys at Simpson Thacher.
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Top 4 Antitrust Enforcement Issues In Health Care Today
The Federal Trade Commission's recent lawsuit against U.S. Anesthesia Partners exemplifies antitrust enforcement authorities' efforts to aggressively reshape the health care industry, ranging from new proposed rules to withdrawals of previous guidance, say attorneys at Fried Frank.
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Maximizing Law Firm Profitability In Uncertain Times
As threats of an economic downturn loom, firms can boost profits by embracing the power of bottom-line management and creating an ecosystem where strategic financial oversight and robust timekeeping practices meet evolved client relations, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Strategic Consulting.
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OECD Gender Inclusive Toolkit May Inform Competition Policy
A toolkit recently released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development offers a potential framework for guiding competition regulators and practitioners to better understand how market dynamics affect different gender groups, and could potentially be applied to other demographic lenses as well, say analysts at Analysis Group.
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Alleged $636M Deal Error Highlights Ethics Considerations
Adelman v. Proskauer, a malpractice suit that allegedly arose from a cut-and-paste error resulting in potential damages of $636 million, presents an intriguing juxtaposition of facts and legal issues — and practical ethical considerations for transactions attorneys, says Richard Leisner at Trenam Law.
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Tech M&A Due Diligence Checklist: Sector-Specific Concerns
In an increasingly dynamic technology merger and acquisition landscape, there are seven high-impact diligence concerns that must be addressed early and with precision, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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5 DOJ Enforcement Priorities To Note From Recent Remarks
Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Marshall Miller’s recent speech provided a glimpse into the U.S. Department of Justice’s corporate criminal enforcement priorities — from national security concerns to mergers and acquisitions — with takeaways for companies’ compliance programs, say Joseph Jay and Jennifer Le at Sheppard Mullin.
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5th Circ. Ruling Reminds Attys That CBP Can Search Devices
The Fifth Circuit’s recent Malik v. Department of Homeland Security decision adds to the chorus of federal courts holding that border agents don’t need a warrant to search travelers’ electronic devices, so attorneys should consider certain special precautions to secure privileged information when reentering the U.S., says Jennifer Freel at Jackson Walker.
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Alleged $636M Deal Error Shows Value Of Old-School Methods
Though Proskauer Rose has now settled claims involving a copy-paste error in deal documents that could have resulted in $636 million in damages, the debacle reminds attorneys that classic revision methods using paper copies can help avoid drafting errors and actually save time in the long run, says Richard Leisner at Trenam.
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How Gov't Agencies Will Fare In The Event Of A Shutdown
With a federal shutdown potentially set to begin at the end of this month, it may be useful to consider the approximate timelines that agencies such as the Federal Trade Commission and IRS have announced for curtailing operations, and potential strategies for mitigating challenges that may arise while agency functions are limited, say attorneys at Cleary.
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Avoiding The Ethical Pitfalls Of Crowdfunded Legal Fees
The crowdfunding of legal fees has become increasingly common, providing a new way for people to afford legal services, but attorneys who accept crowdsourced funds must remember several key ethical obligations to mitigate their risks, say Hilary Gerzhoy and Julienne Pasichow at HWG.
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What Large Language Models Mean For Document Review
Courts often subject parties using technology assisted review to greater scrutiny than parties conducting linear, manual document review, so parties using large language models for document review should expect even more attention, along with a corresponding need for quality control and validation, say attorneys at Sidley.
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Tech M&A Due Diligence Checklist: Critical IP Areas Of Inquiry
Declining valuations are the backdrop of the current technology M&A landscape worldwide, and intellectual property is a key value driver from the vantage point of a potential acquiror, so when it comes to due diligence for technology acquisitions, there are several pitfalls to avoid, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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Series
Participating In Living History Makes Me A Better Lawyer
My role as a baron in a living history group, and my work as volunteer corporate counsel for a book series fan association, has provided me several opportunities to practice in unexpected areas of law — opening doors to experiences that have nurtured invaluable personal and professional skills, says Matthew Parker at the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services.
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Opinion
Private Equity Owners Can Remedy Law Firms' Agency Issues
Nonlawyer, private-equity ownership of law firms can benefit shareholders and others vulnerable to governance issues such as disparate interests, and can in turn help resolve agency problems, says Michael Di Gennaro at The Law Practice Exchange.